Thinking with a Thematic Lens: A Simmelian Approach to Interpretive Cultural Analysis

• In Event: The Simmelian Turn in Cultural Sociology: The Culturalist Allure of Formal Sociology

Abstract

With this presentation, I will discuss the process of conducting research and developing social theory with a thematic lens — a particular perspective that combines contributions from formal sociology, interpretive symbolic interactionism, and the strong program in cultural sociology. While such a mode of cultural analysis is broadly comparative—both cross-contextually and historically, it is also deeply interpretive. On the one hand, this approach is guided by underlying formal properties, including foundational narrative structures, patterns of social conflict and interaction, and formulaic modes of performance that tie otherwise different cases together as manifestations of a common social theme. On the other hand, this approach involves highlighting the differences among cases in the comparative set and interpreting the rich layers of meaning associated with each case to enhance an analysis of the general theme at hand. To illustrate my approach, I will discuss my research on life-changing personal discoveries, the strategies and tactics associated with heated disputes over the past, the phenomenon of anonymity, and performances of self-reflexivity. Using such a thematic lens to guide cultural analysis allows researchers to see various dimensions of social life that typically remain unrecognized and underexplored by qualitative scholars who engage in more bounded single-case studies. Moreover, thinking with a thematic lens offers great promise for theory construction and can serve as a guide for expanding empirical inquiry to a wide range of contexts and cases.

Author

• Thomas DeGloma, CUNY-Hunter College